Michael Waite | Ke Alaka'i | 17 November 2008
The economics department in the BYU-Hawaii College of Business is graced with two great teachers: Professors Beth Haynes and Giulia Faggio. Both women are unique, and together they are a dynamic duo — they both work hard to help students receive a rich and invaluable knowledge of economics.
Beth Haynes
Beth Haynes, the macro and international economics professor at BYU-Hawaii, was born and raised in Colonial Heights, Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree from BYU-Provo, and her graduate degree in economics from Purdue University in Indiana.
While talking about why she chose to go into economics, Haynes said, "Actually I didn't really choose economics, it chose me." Ever since she graduated from Purdue, she has been teaching and received a prestigious tenure from her previous school in South Carolina.
When asked why she decided to come to BYUH, Haynes said, "The Lord decided for me. I had my tenure at a school in South Carolina, and I was invited to teach at BYUH. I declined, but through the school's persistence and a great visit to the campus, I ended up here."
Sister Haynes has some unique teaching methods. "I try to bring the gospel into my lessons, I have my students prepare gospel insight assignments which relate the gospel to what we are learning in class," she said.
"Although I can't claim this as my idea, I use technology to help solidify my students' understanding. I use Course Compass, an online learning resource, which provides my students with tools to really help them understand the concepts we cover in class."
"I try to give my students a rich understanding of economics by working hard to give them the tools they need to incorporate economics into their lives. A knowledge of economics is such an invaluable asset. I do my best to help students really establish a lasting understanding of economic concepts, instead of simply having them memorize facts," said Sister Haynes.
Most recently, Thunderbird School of Global Management, one of the world's top graduate schools for international business, selected Haynes to serve as a judge in their Sustainable Innovation Summit business competition. Although she is quite humble about being chosen, it is a remarkable honor to have someone from our relatively small institution recognized by a premier international business graduate school, and invited to judge this very competitive, international event.
Giulia Faggio
Giulia Faggio, the microeconomics teacher at BYUH, was born and raised in Vercelli, a city near Milan, Italy. She received her doctorate in economics from Bocconi University, in Milan.
When asked why she decided to go into economics Faggio said, "I am very interested in current events, and when I was going to school the Euro was being introduced, so economics was very interesting to me."
Before coming to BYUH, Sister Faggio taught at the London School of Economics. She was also an economics advisor for Citi Bank London. "I was brought to BYUH because it felt like the right thing to do. I prayed and the feeling was confirmed," she said.
Sister Faggio's classes are unique because she uses different mediums to present economics concepts. "I like to use YouTube to show students concepts because YouTube is something they are familiar with, and students usually understand the material better when it is presented through familiar outlets."
Sister Faggio also tries to give her students a rich understanding of economics by having her students read something out of the Wall Street Journal daily.
"It helps my students see how economics really is an important part of their everyday lives," she said.